Learning from the Dalai Lama: Secrets From the Wheel of Time

An introduction to the Buddhist way of life explains the Kalachakra ceremony and initiation, the meaning of the sand mandala and its symbols, and other cultural information.

Grade 5 Up?This well-designed book offers a superb and engaging introduction to the essentials of Buddhist belief and also encourages readers to improve their own inner lives. The first part contains information on the life of the Buddha, Buddhism, and on Tibetan Buddhism and its present leader, The Fourteenth Dalai Lama. The sacred Kalachakra teaching is then introduced, and a 12-day initiation ceremony conducted by the Dalai Lama in New York in 1991 is described. The Kalachakra mandala, or Wheel of Time mandala, is discussed, complete with a visual guide to help readers understand the path to enlightenment. The third part offers step-by-step instructions on how to create a sand mandala, making this title useful for those who want to explore culture and religions through the arts. What makes the book exceptional is not only the clarity of the writing and organization, but also the incredibly rich photographs, inextricably linked to the descriptive text. Young people are sure to come away from it with more than they expected.
Susan Middleton, LaJolla Country Day School, CA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3^-6. On rare occasions, the Dali Lama, spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhists, performs a sacred ceremony, the construction of the Kalachakra or the Wheel of Time. The incredibly delicate work that it takes to make an intricate mandala would be difficult enough with paint. The Dali Lama and his monks make it out of sand. Very complex information is offered here with mixed results. The introduction to Buddhism is the easiest to understand; for example, the way Tibetan Buddhists discover their Dali Lamas. But the discussion of Kalachakra, a secret and complicated teaching, will occasionally be confusing to children and unsatisfying to adults. Even without understanding the details of the ceremony, however, readers will still be fascinated by the sight of elaborate mandalas being coaxed into being. The color pictures in this photo-essay are crisp and clear, and kids will pore over them. An introduction by America's most famous Buddhist, actor Richard Gere, begins the book; information on how to make a sand mandala and a glossary conclude it. Ilene Cooper